Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are among the fastest growing groups of North Carolinians in the 21st Century. However there have been no one on the state policy scene who could speak with an informed voice about the needs of these communities. Chavi Koneru and Ricky Leung, co-founders of North Carolina Asian Americans Together, join us this week to discuss the mission of their organization, voting rights, increasing representation in elected office and the importance of the 2020 Census.

Dr. Peter Morris, director of Urban Ministries of Wake County, discusses hunger, homelessness and healthcare needs in North Carolina.

Jane Pinsky, Director of the NC Coalition for Lobbying and Government Reform discusses election irregularities in NC’s 9th congressional district, the flawed ethics investigation process and the need for nonpartisan redistricting reform.

Will Munn, policy analyst with the NC Budget & Tax Center discusses his report Powering Up Prosperity: Accelerating Businesses of Color in North Carolina. Other issues discussed: race, the economy, and how business accelerators can boost minority-owned businesses.

Morgan Wittman Gramann, Director of the North Carolina Alliance for Health discusses teen tobacco use and vaping, obesity prevention and the need to combat chronic health problems in our state.

2018: Year in review – Part I (From Hurricane Florence’s fury, to NC’s recovery to dire new warnings of climate change)

2018: Year in review – Part II (Major changes in North Carolina’s education leadership)

2018: Year in review – Part III (From the massive teachers march, to the fight curb gun violence to the future of Medicaid expansion and reform)

Policy Watch reporter Lisa Sorg discusses some of the top environmental stories of the last year.

Gene Nichol is Boyd Tinsley distinguished professor at the University of North Carolina. He was director of the UNC Poverty Center (2008-2015) until it was closed by the Board of Governors for publishing articles critical of the governor and General Assembly. Since 2015, his research has been supported by the N.C. Poverty Research Fund. Nichol is author of THE FACES OF POVERTY IN NORTH CAROLINA: Stories From Our Invisible Citizens (UNC Press, 2018)